davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

One evening last week a stranger dressed
in the height of fashion arrived in Nor
walk, Ct. hired one of the finest turnouts
at the livery stable. and drove over near Il
railroad station where he unpacked "a lot Of
watches and jewelry, and was soon sur
rounded by a throng lis commenced OPP
erations by selling sleeve buttons at -
cents. After selling number he bought
them back for 30 cents. Then he offered
watch chains at 81, and bought them from
the purchaser for - each, The excitement
kept increasing. Then the stranger pro
duced several gold watches, put $40 bills
inside the cases and sold them for $40.
Business doomed When the man had OBJ
tanned most Of the money in the crowd,
which was looking for another dividend of
of 100 per cent, he suddenly FASTENED To
the depot, where he took Il train for parts
unknown. Then the visitors examined
the watches and found that they were
cheap gilt lockets. When the lids were
pried off the bills had disappeared. The
sharper made about $500. Among the vic
Tins were some Of the best known business
men in the town.
The game is an old one and one which
some shrewd rascal plays with impunity
every now and they when he gets short of
cash. The writer of this paragraph re
members distinctly seeing it worked more
than twenty years ago one fine spring day
in the open square in Keene, y. II. The
operator, dressed then as now in the height
of the fashion appeared with driver and
assistant in the finest livery carriage which
the town afforded and called the crowd
around him by offering to give everybody
two dollars for one This he dill, passing
ont y bills for each 81 handed up, Then
he increased the bid and introduced the
jewelry sale, giving back to each customer
the money paid for the articles bought. Al
first the sum called for was small, but grad
ually the cunning rascal increased it to five
dollars, promising to return the money,
which he did. BY this time the crowd was
large and the excitement grew in proper
ton. Suddenly he changed his call to SIC
for the articles sold but omitted the prom
Use to return the money. The greenbacks
hoated up in shower and Just in the midst
of il he gave his driver the signal and was
driven to the railroad station in the nick OF
time to board train and leave his victim,
to mediate on how big fool a man can be
without even trying.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

So far as preliminary legislation can Sc
cure il, the way is now open for the con
struction Of a second bridge across the
East river, between Manhattan Island and
Long Island. Congress, almost at the very
end of the last session, passed an act giving
all needed federal sanction for this purpose,
and the state authority had already been
granted by legislation at Albany 1t only
remains, therefore, 10 see whether private
enterprise and capital will be sufficiently
interested in it to begin the great task.
The site appointed for the new bridge is at
Black wells Island, the southerly portion of
which it will cross, thus getting the advan-
tage of central pier there. Its approach
on the New York side would be about Sixty
fourth street, and it would strike Long Is
land City at point directly opposite Sixty
fourth street. In the plan contemplated
the bridge will be 1j3 feet high, in order
not to impede shipping. Its leading idea
will be that of furnishing direct steam com
munication across the East river. For this
purpose there will be two railroad tracks on
the bridge, and the structure will be solid
enough to support ordinary trains running
at forty miles an hour.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

The New York Tribune printed in its last
Mondays issue a contribution which, we
imagine, will have to be accepted as con
elusive in settling the often discussed point
as to whether Admiral Farragut was dashed
TO the rigging of his flagship, the Hartford,
during the fight in Mobile bay. This con
tribution is in the shape of an interview
with Capt j. c. Watson, who was the flag
lieutenant of the Hartford and the admir-
ais aide during the fight The evidence
furnished by Capt. Watson shows that Far
ragut was first dashed to the port main rig
cling for short time, and afterward, dur
ing another phase of the combat, was Sc
cured to the port mizzen rigging The first
flashing is proved by Quartermaster Knowles
who passed the rope around the admiral
The second ashing is proved by the testi-
mony of Captain Watson, who secured the
admiral in this instance. And finally an
extract from a letter written by FarraGut
to his wife, now published for the first
time, proves by the best possible witness
Farragut himself that he was twice dashed
to the rigging If this doesn't settle the
controversy nothing will.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10
a Lost Race.
DISCOVERY IN WEST VIRGINIA or RELICS OF
AN EXTINCT PEOPLE.

DISCOVERY IN WEST VIRGINIA or RELICS OF
AN EXTINCT PEOPLE.
On the banks of the Guyandotte river,
in West Virginia toward its head, is large
farm owned by gentleman named Ieltz.
On this farm are scattered n number of
mounds or tumui, erected ages ago by a
people long since extinct In each tumu-
ius, ON n level with the surrounding coun-
try and in the centre Of the mound, is a
large crypt, which contains the bones of
men and women When discovered short
time since the skeletons were found in
great numbers, many of them well preserv-
ed from the corroding tooth of time Some
Of the bones were of unusual size and of
great thickness In the same crypts by
the side of the skeletons were many stone
hatchets, flint arrows and spear heads and
other indications of primal warlike race.
Fragments Of pottery Of peculiar shape
were found lying around. These tumuh
had undoubtedly been the burying place of
prominent members Of the lost race, chiefs,
princes or savage potentates. But, strange
as was the finding within the mounds, a
stranger one lay within a scope of territory
surrounding them. Within the space Of
several acres-say 10 or 12-in the shape
Of an octagon, the plowshare had uncover
ed evidences of fertilization. The outer
line had evidently at one time been thrown
up by these extinct people as a means OF
defence from attack by other races Of peo-
pie. Within these walls innumerable pieces
of bone, fragments Of the skeletons of hun
dreds Of people were found in all attitudes
among and around them spear heads, ar
row heads, stone hatchets and other imple-
ments were scattered, covered with frag-
ments Of a conglomerate stone of highly
silicious character, which has enabled them
to resist degradation and removal by wa
ter and the dwelling powers of atmospheric
agencies, otherwise the corroding influence
of time would have removed all traces of
these people Outside in either direction
lines and piles of bones and instruments of
war were found, showing that at one time
a fierce battle for existence had occurred-a
war of extermination-in which the strange
people confined within the stone and earth
en- battlements had suffered defeat, and
that men, women and children had been
mercilessly slaughtered ~ Y. WOrid cor.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10
CURRENT AFFAIRS.


A unique character in the history Of the
South passed away recently in the DEATH
at the age OF 30 years, Of ex-Gov. William
Smith, popularity known ms Extra Billy
The pseudonym Extra Billy" was earned
while he was n mail contractor between
Washington City and Milledgeville, Ga, an
enterprise beginning in 1881, in which he
amassed a snug fortune In 1894 n noted
attack was made upon the administration
of w. r. Barry, then Postmaster General.
In the rapid development Of the postal fa-
cilities of the southern country the oXpcn-
ditures Of the department were largely in
creased In the blue book, or official regis
ter of the United States government, the
salaries or compensation Of its officers or
contractors compensation, for instance, Of
additional service ordered TO be performed,
is indicated by an asterisk. Every extra
allowance beyond the stipulations Of the
original contract was thus designated. AS
the route of Mr.. Smith was one Of rapid
development, his entries of service were
abundantly thus marked. The circum-
stance was noted in debate by Benjamin
Watkins Leigh, from Virginin, who, with
out calling the name Of Mr.. Smith, yet af-
fixed upon him the lifelong soubriquet Of
Extra Billy He was eight years mem
the representative Of his district in the
Congress which expired March, 1913 In a
letter written three years ago the old man
thus describes his election as governor Of
Virginia two years later Everything
was going well with me. " he says, "when,
in December, 1913, having just returned
from one Of my courts, was addressed by
one of my friends rs Governor Smith.
asked him what he meant 10y thus address
ing me. lie said that | was the Governor
elect of Virginia. replied that | trusted
it was not so, but so it proved. The Legis
lature at that time elected our Governor,
and, without having the idea suggested to
me by a human being, found myself elect
ell Governor for three years from January
/, 1916. The salary was wholly inadequate
TO support the proper Inequalities Of the
position | had no private fortune to sup
ply the deficiency, and public opinion would
not allow the Governor to practice his pro
fession. l wrote to my friends that they
had placed me in a cruel dilemma that
wanted bread and they gave me "A stone
that should have to decline the high posi-
ton to which they had elected me There
was no help forit But did accept, served
out my term and returned to my home. 81
In April, 1850 Gov Smith sailed for Cali.
fornia, hut came back to Virginia after
two years residence in San Francisco. He
went into the Confederate army at ~ year,
old, and was elected second time governor
Of the Od Dominion the year before the
fall Of Richmond
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

The blacksmith is about the only crafts
man who makes anything out of his strikes,
1t is fortunate that when Daniel went in
to the lions den the beauties of the proph-
et-sharing system hadn't been talked up SO
effectively as they have today.-SOmerriH
(MdSS.) journal,
A Barnwell young man who threatened
to blow his brains out unless an Orangeburg
girl would consent to have him was coolly
told by the lady that he would have to blow
some brains into his head first He didn't
blow Is. O. RerielO.
A correspondent sends the following,
which he thinks too good to be lost cone
of our Roxbury citizens has a daughter
about years old, Having accompanied
her mother to witness baptism, the next
day she said she was going to have n hap
tism herself, and arranging her dolls along
the edge of the bath-tub she prepared one
of them for immersion. Her mother, hear
ing the child's voice, advanced within lis
tening distance and heard the following adj
dress to the candidate 4 now baptiz,
you in the name of the Father and the Son
and into the hole you go, '"-Boston Tran
SciiDt
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

THE IMPROVED METHOD OF MAKING CHAR
COAL in retorts, thus utilizing the products
that have heretofore been wasted, is thus
described in an article in the Iron Age In
the ordinary kilns one cord of wood has
yielded from 30 TO 35 bushels Of say, 20
pounds to the bushel, while in the Pierce
process, where carried on in large way
for supplying furnaces, the average yield
of charcoal is claimed to be 80 bushels to
the cord, which is worth cents per bush
elsa, Then there are obtained 3 gallons
of crude wood alcohol per cord, valued at
% cents per gallon at the works-S2, 80 /;
100 pounds of acetate of lime per cord,
cent per pound at the works-$l so; 1000
pounds of burnable hydro carbon, equal in
value for heating purposes to the amount
of SO of other fuel, a total of $l0,35,
against about So, 20 worth of charcoal un-
der the old process.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

Under this heading the New York Tri-
bune, writing in answer to an enqurng
correspondent, explains that the fundamen-
tai doctrine of Henry George ON the land
question is the notion that no man has or
can acquire right 10 the ownership of the
land. His theory is that the value of the
land is not created by mans labor, aud
therefore cannot be properly appropriated
by individuals The truth is, the Tri-
bune goes on to say, that the part of the
value of land which is the result of man 5
labor is infinitely the greater part, and is
absolutely inseparable from the value, if
there ever was any, existing in the land in
dependently of such labor. Name tract of
ground anywhere and examine its history
closely, and it will be found that its value
has been created by the building of roads,
the creation of means of reaching it and
transporting products from it, by the clear
ing fencing and other improvements of
that and adjacent lands, by the growth of
villages, towns and cities more or less near
the land in question, by the building of
Albltn anu thultHtHt ram bhAlHf NeliulH VI
turnpikes, and, in word, by all the pro
gress Of civilization from the earliest set
tlement of that region to this day. As a
rule, the land itself has no value which i.
not the result of human industry.
THE value thus created must belong tc
somebody, and be capable of transmission
from one person to another. This is neces
sary to the welfare of civilized society, be
cause the creation of such values, by tn,
improvement of lands and the construction
of means of communication, would be ar
rested if the land were not the property o
individuals The infinitely larger proper
ton of value which is created by mans la
Dor must be individually owned, that beinl
necessary to the progress of society. Tn,
infinitely smaller proportion not so created
| if any such value IN particular case ex
lists, must therefore be also individual,
| owned, because its separation from the 9th
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

THE CoMsToCK LODE is of itself one of
the worlds wonders. 1t is moreover won
derful as a spot in which the greatest mar
vels of mining have been performed. When
the great bonanza was being worked 5000
900 feet of timber were lowered into the
deeps and set in place monthly for proba-
bly, 40 months. Well, that mass of timber
has been on fire for two or three years past,
and at last has become so terrible feature
that it must be subdued or that portion of
the great lode abandoned. Some time ago
it was hoped that the fire might be arrest
ed by bulkheads, and so solid walls of ma
sorry were built 16 feet in thickness to
ward off the terrible fire But the walls
soon became hot and the fatal gas, gener-
ated by the fire, found its way out into the
| open chambers of the mine. Something
else had to be done. and so it was determ-
med to try to drown the fire with carbonic
acid gas The trial is now under way says
the Salt Lake Tribune, and a description of
it reads like the description of a battle be
tween mortals and gnomes. A furnace for
the manufacture of the gas is placed in
position on the 100 level of the Ophir
mine. The furnace is iron, like a steam
| boiler lined with brick, and the material
| used for the manufacture of the gas is coke
and charcoal. The furnace is fed at one
end and the gas is discharged through -
inch pipe at the other The account says :
The draft through the furnace is very
strong. and when the doors are open the
flames within roar like a blast-furnace.
Cast-iron, or any ordinary metal, would be
melted in a moment in the great heat. "
/ The furnace makes 40, 600 feet of carbonic
gas daily, and it is estimated that 80 days
will be required to subdue the fire, as it
is believed that it fills , 900, 900 feet of the
mine. The pipe is at a white heat when
the gas leaves the furnace. This is carried
| down into a tank or fume 50 feet in length
over which 10 inches of water flows con
/ stantly and cools it, ''Then the pipe enters
the main incline, still lying in the trough,
and goes down 20 feet to the 1850 level.
| The water dashes down through this trough
and over and around the pipe with the
noise of small Niagara" On that level
the pipe enters the bulkhead, which at that
| point is "a feet in thickness. The pipe is
tamped in with clay and which is kept CON
stantly wet. The glowing furnace at the
| 1900 level of the Ophir, where the gas is
made, presents a novel and striking scene
1t sends red glare all about the station
such as one sees in a big foundry where
small rivers of molten iron are flowing
about. The men, too, look in the red glare
like beings belonging little lower down in
the subterranean regions where old Satan
is firing up The heat and glare are so in
tense that one feels all the time as
though there were danger of something
giving away or blowing up. Them be-
sides the roar of the furnace, there is the
roar of the falling water in the incline, the
rattle of cages, and the clank of machinery,
All these sights and sounds taken together
constitute small pandemonium which it is
| worth while TO experience.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10
American singers Abroad.

These ong-birds from America, they come across
the sea
To carol in our operas and take the upper +;
Time was when dark Italians held all the lyric
stage;
Time was when fair-haired Tutons were the opera
tic rage;
Butnow Ia belle americana have come across the
foam
To take the British dollars back to many a West
ern home.
Neyada's here, and Nordica, and Brooch and Min
ME Hauk
And others who but lately sang in Boston or New
York;
Hastreiter, Dotti Engle too, and Russell and Van
Landt
And brilliant Marie Decca TO America we grant;
Miss Thursby, Ienschel Osgood with our Ster-
lin and Hope Glenn,
Could fifty claim Americas most eulogistic pen.
How is it that Americans have this great gift of
song,
That fast they come, and faster still, to join the
choral throngy
/ One fancies that each baby soul in infancy d.
vines
! The music of their mighty streams, the wind
harp In the pines
! And then we hear in London Own-and who
would grldge the feeY
! The message Mississippi brings from mountain
unto sea!-LOHdOH Punch.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10
MISCELLANY.
WIN Rihe. nj. Iin,c

who bdes his time, and day by day
Faces defeat full patiently,
And lifts a mrthful rOundelay,
However poor his fortune be
lie will not fall in any qualm
or poverty the patty dime,
1t will grow golden in his palm,
Who hides his time
Who bdes his time he tastes the sweet
OF honey In the safest tear;
And though he fares with slowcst feet,
JOY runs to meet him drawing near;
The birds are heralds Of his cause,
And, like a never-ending rhyme,
The roadside blooms in his applause,
Who bldes his time.
Who bides his time and fevers not,
In the hot race that none achieves,
Shall wear cool wreathen laurel, wrought
with crimson berries In the leaves.
And he shall reign a goodly king,
And sway his hand DER every cline,
With peace writ ON his signet ring,
who bidps his time
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

No better evidence can be given that the
silly season is upon us which always pre-
cedes the seriousness of presidential cam
paign than the persistent and amusing eff
fort of the New York Herald, at one time
a great newspaper, TO get up sensation
based upon talk of Henry w. Grady, an
Atlanta, Ga. newspaper editor, for vice
president on the Democratic ticket.-Bos-
ton Advertiser
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

The latest report from the Panama canal
tends to confirm one of the most persistent
objections to the scheme of De Lesseps.
Water has been struck, it is said, on one of
the mountain cuttings, and in such volume
that it has already undone work costing
several millions of dollars This, too, is
not the Chagres river, but only an inciden-
tai water vein which may empty itself in a
short time. When the torrent of the Cha
gres has to be bridled and bitted-if the
engineers over get as far as that-there
will probably be some interesting expert
ences for the on-looking world, though they
are liable to be more instructive than enter
tanning to the stockholders of the canal.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10


document hearing TINS headihg' "hlch
has been handed us by friend OF religious
freedom. contains. as its main feature. a
sroocb d.livored lost Februorv beforo the
-.
al Nu''Na' ''s iA"'.U'' ~ ''''''''', ',,,'V
OF that body III favor OIL restoring 10 the
statute books Of the state an exemption
clause in favor of Seventh day" believers.
H. opueors that mn IN the vear 1879 there
,,.u. ,,,.,,.i.i,,, 20 ,Lo c,,,io,. 1a,,s ~ tho
'' - T.
sVaVo eNei'lPV'is iro'" '"e Po""''io9 vi 'ii'.
law those VINO ohserYe ms day OF rest ana
worship any other day Of the week than
the Christian Sabbath In the year named
tes5 tL,+ ,,,.,,,isi,,, ,,,os ,.,..al.d upd.r n
.l. .....-. r H..
PIC" WA. ~ i'' "l'' '.'''' '''o ''i0 " "fu0'
ON sunday was lhade possipie' senator
Crockett in his speech, TO which reference
is here made, paid this tribute TO the sin
ceritv md the correctness of life of the
.te,...,i. IL, III. ,..,,,. - ,,.,,,.,,, i,ol
peen liluuceu 10 seVUle III ARKANSAS
They are people who rehglously ana
consclentlously keep saturday, the seventh
day as the sabbath IN accordance with the
fourth commandment. They ma no au-
thor1ty IN the scripture Tor keeping sun
day, the ilrst day oil the week nor can any
o,,9 u,'t Aii % as 81 S S',J
and thot the knening If Sunday. the first
dnv of the week as the Sabbath. is Of hui
man origin, and not by divine Injunction
The Catholic writers and all theologlans
az i'.r, III 'ills' ,,n
70 he ay bipdipg nnon them as fullv todav
AS when handed down amid the thunders Of
Sinai They do not feel at liberty to alb
stain from their usual ayocations because
Ohe{ rean tIe commandment, olA uays
i' v',Iu a, 's 10 '''' r IT. 70 OK
Stain from labor on the first dav of the
week than they have to neglect the OBJ
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10
The London Lion.

No American who has ever visited Eu-
rope has attracted more attention than Buff
falo Bill. Gen Grant, when he came here,
did not occupy larger place in the minds
of the British public than Buffalo Bill. Al
though Mr.. Cody has not been in London
over a month, he is today as well known to
the masses Of this great city Of 5000 600 as
is the queen. You could not pick up, in
the most obscure quarter of London, any
one so ignorant as TO not know who and
what he is. His name Is on every wall his
picture is in nearly every window An
other peculiar feature Of Cody's London
fame is that he is equally popular in the
lowest and highest walks Of society. He is
really a great London lion. He is as much
in demand at all kinds of high society gath
erings as if he were a visiting prince. In
deed, few visiting princes could have as
many invitations thrust upon them as he
has had since his arrival here He is oblig
ed to refuse the majority of the invitations
which pursue him. He tried to 90 out to
the London dinners when he first came
here, but he soon found that they were too
much for him Latterly he finds it much
more agreeable to entertain people in his
own quarters, where there is nearly always
a crowd when there is no performance on.
Recent London Letter.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

An odd effect of the interstate commerce
law is the resurrection of various dead
towns along the Mississippi river The old
steamboat wharves are being propped up
ready for business and the sleepy inhab-
tants are taking brace generally.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

err and far greater value is impracticable.
Nor is it practicable ever to determine
whether land has or would have any value
apnrt from the result Of human improve
mputs and human lnbor ~
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

Our clubbing arrangement with this valuable
and fayorite farmers paper still continues. In
connection with The Phoenix 1t is sent at cost Of
only 60 cents year, making the price Of the two
papers only g.. 10, payable In advance,